Are You an Accident Waiting to Happen?

During my nursing career, I saw many fruitful and productive lives changed in an instant. A fall, a trip, or a slip of any kind of accident can cause injury and change a life. Sometimes, that change is forever. Prevention of falling or injury is the best treatment.

Most recently, I have a good friend in California who simply twisted her body in her driveway while attempting to lift a wet and heavy garage door. She went down in a heap with a fractured femur, the long leg bone, cracked right in the middle. Thankfully, she has alert neighbors who came to her rescue and called 911. Because she also suffers from osteoporosis the mending is slow and discouraging. She can’t bear weight on the fractured leg and they have her on strict bedrest. No walker, not even a potty chair. Dignity pretty well flies out the window when you’re wearing adult diapers. Severe pain and the loss of dignity make a wretched combo.

Many years ago my parents were traveling to a nearby city and were involved in a head on accident. My mother was driving, and my father, who loved her dearly, threw himself in front of her, between her and the steering wheel. He cracked his hip in the process. He had been on large doses of steroids for cerebral arteritis, therefore his bones were quite porous. Osteoporosis is a common side effect of steroid therapy and in the 1980’s, they didn’t have the medications or the advanced knowledge they now have regarding bone growth, medications to promote growth, etc. Incidentally, and tragically, the man in the car that hit my parents died. My father was haunted by his eyes as his car aimed at my parents car and always believed the man committed suicide by automobile.

I guess I think about accidents and falling more than most people do for fear of falling on my very sensitive tush. When I fall, the sacroiliac joints are displaced causing 24/7 pain in any position, the inability to have a bowel movement and general self-pity and mayhem. Any falling episode usually ends in weeks of physical therapy as well as misery. Over the years I have developed a list of “do’s” to protect myself. I know, even with all the precautions I can muster life is still full of surprises, accidents caused by others and miscalculations by me. All of us can only control so much of life; who knows that better than those of us who have lost our health, our vocations and suffered shattered relationships.

MY “TO DO” LIST FOR STAYING SAFE:

1. I take an inventory of my medications and stay informed about those which may alter my mobility and consciousness. When I must take that stronger pain med, muscle relaxant, etc., I take extra precautions when up and moving. I never drink alcohol when taking a pain medication. I don’t drink anyway because of my many years on methotrexate. I’m trying to keep my liver from exploding.

2. I always try to have one hand free when going up or down the stairs, for holding onto the rail. I send the dogs up before me so I won’t trip on them, which is the most common cause of falling; tripping over pets. Slow and easy is the key. I always turn on the light in the stairwell, even during the daytime. When returning from the grocery store, hauling extra poundage in the shopping bags may require extra trips, but it’s worth it. I keep extra plastic bags in the trunk to lighten those loads which many grocery clerks overload. I can often be found standing in the rain over an open car trunk “rebagging” my groceries. Three half-gallons of milk per bag? I don’t think so. I try to remember the cloth bags for shopping because they are more comfortable to the hands as well as being good for the environment. I learned the hard way not to buy cloth bags that are too large because the checkers will fill them and it can get ugly. Those cloth grocery bags are also great for hauling laundry and they’re much safer than an awkward laundry basket. They’re also easier to heft over the railing if you’re in a “throw it down the stairs” mood. Pillow cases also work very well for throwing laundry down the stairs. Many years ago I threw a used Christmas tree out a window to keep from hauling it down stairs. It worked out well. Of course, the neighbors looked a bit askance but, oh well.

3. Comfortable footwear with good traction on the bottom is a must. We wear a lot of wool socks here in Oregon and I have learned they have to be all wool. Many of the mixed fibers have nylon or other synthetics in them which cause you to slide around in your shoes. I’ve found I can also slip on the wood floors with slippery socks. I love a warm, cozy slipper but they are usually step-in or loosely fitting, therefore I leave them at the top or bottom of the stairway, not wanting to risk it.

4. I constantly screen the floors for spills from the water bowls for the dogs, any doggy messes and even children and dog toys. A small towel under each water bowl helps to catch much of the excess but our Miniature Schnauzer can carry a lot of water on his face and drip it everywhere. Our old Jack Russell has mastered the art of saving that one last “tootsie roll” when she comes in from outside and leaves it, well, wherever. All of the loose rugs in our home have latex backings and those that do not are lying over a layer of rubberized non-slip carpet lining. All of our outdoor stairs have rubber stair treads or strips glued to them for traction.

5. Daily stretches are a must for me to stay as strong as possible. I’m far from being ready to give up and give in. Strength in the legs, torso and arms are a must. Small weights are a must for me to maintain arm strength and prevent neck pain and spasms. Unfortunately, it does nothing for the jiggle under the upper arms, darn it. No parades and waving like the Queen for me. I find maintaining a strong sense of balance is vital. I have a large balance ball which I try to sit on and do some minor exercises. I still, often, have to hold onto the wall with one hand to keep from rolling into a heap. I also find standing on one foot and then alternating to the other is helpful to maintain a stronger sense of balance. Yes, I look like a flamingo but who cares. It also helps, when lifting light weights, to use both and while reclining, bring the two hand weights together for a sense of spatial relevance.

Remaining strong is the road to safety. Even with all of these precautions, life can still be a Road Runner cartoon, minus the TNT. We have to do the best we can and shouldn’t expect more from ourselves. Have a safe life. If you’re reading this, you already have enough to worry about.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sue Falkner-Wood

Sue Falkner-Wood is a retired registered nurse living in Astoria, Ore., with her husband, who is also an R.N. Sue left nursing in 1990 due to chronic pain and other symptoms related to what was eventually...read more

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